Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Feb 21, 2026

This billionaire says Elizabeth Warren is a 'superficial, nasty hater'

This billionaire says Elizabeth Warren is a 'superficial, nasty hater'

Hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman escalated his fight with Elizabeth Warren on Friday by calling the Democratic presidential candidate a "superficial, nasty hater" who isn't interested in dealing with facts.

"The voting public should not be taken in by this political charlatan," Cooperman told CNN Business.

His comments come after Warren took her clash with billionaires to their home turf by airing ads on CNBC, making the case for a wealth tax aimed at easing America's inequality problem.

Warren's commercial called out Cooperman, who was charged by the SEC with insider trading in 2016. Those charges were settled when Cooperman agreed to pay a fine of nearly $5 million.

Cooperman, the son of a plumber who has pledged to give away his entire fortune to charity, took issue with Warren bringing up the "SEC baloney." He noted that he did not admit nor deny fault and avoided getting barred from the industry.

"Any attorney will tell you I won the case because there was no case," Cooperman said. "But what does this have to do with her qualifications to be president? I'm not running for office - she is."

He added that Warren "impresses me as a superficial, nasty hater that doesn't seem interested in dealing with facts."


Cooperman 'can't escape the tax'

Warren isn't backing down. She signaled on Friday plans to ramp up her ad blitz pushing for a wealth tax.

"Some of the scared billionaires who oppose it are going on TV and tweeting their complaints," Warren tweeted. "It clearly struck a nerve. But we need this tax to help working families-so we're increasing our ad buy."

Warren's campaign responded to Cooperman's latest remarks by pointing out the high stakes for the billionaire.

"We're going to tax Leon Cooperman's fortune of $3.2 billion," Saloni Sharma, Warren's national deputy press secretary, told CNN Business in an email.

Cooperman "can't escape the tax" because it will apply as long as he's an American citizen, Sharma said. If Cooperman renounced his citizenship, he would have to pay a 40% exit tax on every dollar of his fortune above $50 million, she said.

"We're going to be giving the IRS the teeth and the tools to make sure the billionaires pay up," Sharma said.

Warren has called for imposing a wealth tax of 6 cents on every dollar of net worth above $1 billion. Her campaign says the wealth tax could be used to pay for proposed programs such as universal child care, universal pre-school, canceling student loan debt and Medicare-for-All.

Warren's agenda is aimed at tackling America's inequality problem head-on. The top 1% of US households now controls $34.7 trillion of the nation's wealth, according to the Federal Reserve. The bottom 50% of families holds only $2.1 trillion.

"All we're saying is when you make it big, pitch in two cents so everyone else gets a chance," Warren said during her ad that aired on Thursday on CNBC, a network that often hosts the billionaires whose wealth the Democrat wants to tax.

Beyond the wealth tax, Warren has also called for breaking up Facebook (FB) and banning the fracking of oil and gas.


Blankfein warns against vilifying

Warren's aggressive agenda and her tough tone have sparked a backlash from other wealthy individuals.

Lloyd Blankfein, a registered Democrat and the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, has acknowledged the inequality problem and supports taxing the rich more.

However, Blankfein recently told CNN's Poppy Harlow that he fears Warren wants "cataclysmic change" to the US economy. Warren featured those comments in her CNBC ad and then called Blankfein out for getting a $70 million pay package in 2007, the year the Great Recession began.

Blankfein, who backed Hillary Clinton in 2016, responded by hinting at Warren's past disputed claims to Native American heritage.

"Vilification of people as a member of a group may be good for her campaign, not the country," Blankfein tweeted on Thursday. "Maybe tribalism is just in her DNA."


Warren fired another verbal shot at Blankfein on Friday.

"He ran Goldman Sachs while it misled its own clients in order to turn a profit, which helped create the 2008 crash," Warren tweeted. "His bank then took billions in backdoor taxpayer bailouts, and no one was held accountable."

Cooperman said he sent a letter to Warren late last month that, he complains, she never responded to. The letter, which Cooperman provided to CNN Business, suggested alternatives to a wealth tax, such as eliminating loopholes in the tax code and implementing a surtax on millionaires.

"The fact is, Senator Warren, that despite our philosophical differences, we should be working together to find common ground in this vital conversation -- not firing off snarky tweets that stir your base at the expense of accuracy," Cooperman wrote.
Yet the rhetoric has only gotten more heated in the weeks since he sent that letter.

Cooperman, however, said his letter was "respectful and, if I must say, was extremely well done."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
×